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Cricket Australia boss facing the axe: reports

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts looks set to be axed this week, with stakeholders and staff disgruntled over his handling of the coronavirus shutdown, reports said Monday.

The Australian newspaper said his fate would be sealed at a board meeting in the next 24 hours, while the Sydney Morning Herald reported his departure would be announced on Wednesday.

If Roberts, 47, loses his job he will join Rugby Australia and National Rugby League counterparts Raelene Castle and Todd Greenberg as casualties of the COVID-19 crisis.

Roberts was appointed in October 2018, replacing James Sutherland who quit after 17 years at the helm following a damaging ball-tampering scandal involving then-national skipper Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft.

The pressure has reportedly been building on him since he shocked staff in April by informing them that the vast majority would be layed off until at least mid-year due to COVID-19’s impact on the game.

Morale is said to be low with a major round of redundancies imminent.

Further cost-cutting is expected, which has left some state cricket chiefs unimpressed given the coronavirus pandemic hit the sport in its off-season.

While doubts remain over whether Australia can host the Twenty20 World Cup as scheduled in October-November, Roberts has locked in dates for India’s lucrative Test tour later in the year.

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.